"The State of Israel ... will ensure complete equality of social and political
rights of all its inhabitants irrespective of religion ... it will guarantee freedom
of religion and conscience." - May 1948)

Israeli Independence Day celebrations are almost upon us, and the divisions over the identity of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state are greater than ever before.

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Hiddush releases public opinion statistics on freedom of marriage on the eve of Knesset lobby for Civil Equality and Pluralism. Rabbi Regev, Hiddush CEO: "We should not miss this historic opportunity created the recent elections to establish civil marriage in Israel."

As we reflect on Human Rights Day, we are reminded of the dire need of Israel to acknowledge its failure in ensuring those promised in both the International Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of Independence of Israel itself.

Ahead of the Wednesday event and vote, the NGO Hiddush: For Religious Freedom and Equality released a study it commissioned which shows two-thirds of the Jewish population in Israel are in favor of enabling civil marriage in Israel – although only one-third would marry in such a ceremony, were it to become an option.

Researchers Drs. Guy Ben-Porat and Yariv Feniger posit that because there is a gap between support for civil marriage and personal interest in having a civil marriage, major political parties do not promote the issue. Hiddush CEO Rabbi Regev: “Leading up to elections, people need to demand that the political party leaders commit themselves to…carry out a civil revolution, including freedom of choice in marriage”

U.S. State Department report on religious freedom worldwide finds increase in religious coercion, discrimination, and violence in Israel. Reports: Validity of 40,000 conversions in doubt, 360,000 new immigrants cannot get married

The conversion law proposal that was supposed to help immigrants from the former Soviet Union has undergone changes which only strengthen the monopoly of the Chief Rabbinate. How the mighty have fallen.